Chapter 649: [Bonus - ] No News

Chapter 649: [Bonus Chapter] No News

Inside a spacious cave chamber, Vaela sat with several members of her party, their expressions noticeably uneasy as they waited for news from the three men.

The chamber was relatively quiet, with only the occasional sound of footsteps from the outside disturbing the silence.

A few dimly glowing stones embedded into the rough cave walls, providing enough light for everyone to see each other’s faces.

Vaela sat near the center of the chamber, occasionally glancing toward the cave entrance as she tried to hide her nervousness.

Every time she heard footsteps echoing, her eyes shifted toward the entrance.

She tried to convince herself that there was nothing to worry about. There should have been no reason for them to fail.

Yet, as the minutes continued to pass without any news, a faint uneasiness began to creep into her heart. She disliked the feeling, especially because she could not identify the reason behind it.

Just then, one of the men sitting across from her finally broke the heavy silence.

"Vaela, don’t you think something might have happened to them?" a sturdy young man asked, his brows drawing together into a deep frown as he looked toward her.

His question was not particularly loud, but it was enough to disturb the fragile silence that had filled the chamber.

He had been holding back his concerns for some time, hoping that the three men would return.

However, with more than an hour having passed since their departure, he could no longer ignore the possibility that something had gone wrong.

At first, the others remained silent, watching Vaela carefully to see how she would respond.

Several exchanged brief glances before looking back at Vaela, their expressions revealing that they shared the same doubts.

Vaela immediately noticed their attention and a deep frown appeared on her face. Annoyance flashed across her eyes as she realized that everyone was looking at her as though they expected her to provide an answer.

She had always believed that her position entitled her to a certain level of respect.Therefore, she hated it when someone questioned her judgment.

She felt as though they were deliberately undermining her authority.

"What do you think happened to them?" she retorted, clicking her tongue in anger.

Her gaze swept across the chamber, lingering briefly on the sturdy young man who had spoken before moving toward the others.

The displeasure on her face became more obvious as she noticed that no one seemed willing to withdraw their concern.

"They might not be the strongest people in the camp, but handling a weakling who just arrived here is nothing to them," she continued, her tone growing sharper.

"Besides, they have far more experience than that newcomer. What reason would they have to lose?"

She leaned back slightly in her seat, attempting to make her words sound convincing.

"Besides, there are three of them!" Vaela fired back, raising her voice another octave.

"Are you telling me that all three of them are going to lose to a single newcomer? Do you honestly think that makes any sense?"

Her voice echoed through the cave chamber, and the fury emanating from her body became difficult for everyone to ignore.

Many lowered their eyes, while others shifted uncomfortably in their seats, unwilling to become the next target of her anger.

They understood Vaela’s personality well enough to know what had upset her. What she hated most was being questioned by people she considered beneath her.

To her, such questions felt like insults, and she rarely tolerated them without making her displeasure known.

The sturdy young man pressed his lips together, deciding against arguing with her further. For a moment, the atmosphere inside the chamber grew even more tense.

The party members looked at one another, uncertain about how they should proceed. Before anyone could speak again, a woman’s voice cut through the thick atmosphere.

"Then, can you tell us what is going on?"

Unlike the others, she did not lower her head or avoid looking in Vaela’s direction. Her expression remained serious, and there was a trace of impatience in her eyes.

Vaela slowly turned her head toward her, her gaze immediately becoming colder.

The young woman noticed the piercing stare directed at her, but she did not allow it to interrupt her thoughts.

"We have a mission to complete," she continued, ignoring the hostile look Vaela was giving her.

"And without those three, carrying it out is going to become more difficult."

She paused briefly, allowing her words to settle before continuing.

"It has already been over an hour. Even a fool can tell that something is wrong."

Her statement was direct, but she did not raise her voice or deliberately provoke Vaela. The young woman glanced toward the entrance before looking back at the others.

"Right now, we should hurry up and complete the mission. After that, we can investigate what happened to our men."

Having said that, she let her gaze wander around the room, silently waiting to see whether anyone had a better suggestion.

When no one immediately objected, she clicked her tongue and folded her arms.

Listening to her explanation, the other party members gradually nodded in agreement.

Everything she had said was true. Regardless of what had happened to the three men, they could not remain inside the chamber indefinitely, waiting for an answer that might never come.

Even the sturdy young man who had spoken earlier nodded, his expression becoming slightly more resolute now that someone had offered a practical solution.

One after another, the remaining members expressed their agreement through small nods.

Vaela watched the scene unfold, and her expression gradually became increasingly unsightly.

Her fingers tightened against the edge of her seat, and her lips pressed into a thin line as she struggled to contain her anger.

’This bitch!’

She gritted her teeth for a moment, her eyes fixed on the young woman who had challenged her position without showing the slightest hesitation.

She wanted to say something harsh enough to make her regret speaking, but decided against it.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to suppress the anger that had risen within her.

Her expression was still unpleasant, but she gradually loosened her grip on the edge of the seat before lifting her head.

"Fine," she said in a low voice.

The single word came out reluctantly.

"Let’s complete the mission."

She paused for a moment, allowing her gaze to move across each member of the group. Her expression remained cold, and the annoyance in her eyes had not disappeared.

"But let me remind everyone of something. After we finish the mission, we’re going to find out what happened to those three if they still haven’t returned."